Improvement in water-elevators



R. H. DOUGLASS.

WATER-ELEVATOR.

Patented June 6,1876.

A No. 118.423.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OgEEroE,

l ROBERT H. DOUGLASS, OF FORT OOLVILIJE, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-ELEVATORS'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,423, dated June 6,1876; application tiled April 28, 1676.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. DOUG- LAss, of Fort Colville, in thecounty of Stevens and Territory ot' .Vashillgtoil, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in lVater Elevators; and I do herebydecla-re that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and'use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part ot' this specification, in which- Figurel represents afront view of my improved water-raising apparatus and Fig. 2, a verticalsection ot' the same, taken through the line x of Fig. l.

The object ot' my invention is to raise water by means of the naturalilow or current ot' a stream or river.

The improvement consists in forming a boat of suitable size andstrength, `in' which is formed a channel, through which thesurfacecurrent shall flow, and in arranging an undershot water-wheeltherein, through which motion is `imparted. to an endless belt or chain,carrying a series of buckets for the raising of the water, in the mannerof an'endlesschain pump, and which may be of' any known formv proceed todescribe it in detail.

In carrying my improvement into practice the boat may be built in asingle structure, having an open way or channel at or near its center,and so as to run from stem to stern; but I prefer to use two boats orscows, a a', with'lat bottoms, and then to connect them together bystrong timbers b across the ends, and at such other position orpositions between as will practically constitute them a singlestructure.

The peculiar shape of the bows is not material, although I prefer theyshould be of such form as will oi'er the least resistance to the ow ofthe stream. I also prefer to connect them firmly together by a system oftimbers and planking, c, on the bottom, and so as to leave a channel, d,above the planking, between the two boats c a', for the passage of i thewater between them, and for the reception of an undershot water-wheel,c.

Atthe front end ofchannel d is arranged a slide \vatergate,f, by meansof which to shut the water oft' or let it on at will, according as it isdesired to stop or start the water-wheel e. The channel d will be madeof such depth and width as may be desired, to suitfthe size ot' thewater-wheel.

Instead ot'two, three or more boats may be put together in the samemanner to accommodate two or more water-wheels, all mounted upon thesame shaft, or upon shafts so connected with each other in any knownmanner as to operate in unison together to drive the endlesschain pump;or,instead ot' operating a shaft common to all, each may operate anindependent shaft and separate pump, the respective delivery-spouts ofall ot' which, it' desired, may be made to communicate with a channelcommon to all for the delivery ot' the water in a single stream.

The water-wheel e may be constructed in any suitable and known mannerfor use as an undershot wheel, and is mounted, through its shaft g, insuitable bearings formed in or otherwise secured to the frame-Work oftheboat at the sides of channel d. In that boat, or half, a, ofthe boat,next the bank ot' the stream is erected the frame-Work of the pump. Asuitable frame-work for the purpose is represented in the drawings, andconsists of four upright timbers, It, firmly erected upon and secured totheboat. Thesetimbers are securelyframed together by cross-timbers t,arranged at suitable intervals apart. The lower end of this framework ispartitioned oft', so as to form a watertight compartment, yzo, withrespect to the boat, but having free communication, through anopening,j, in its bottom, with the water of the stream, for the purposeof supplying the buckets of the endless chain pump with water. Withinthis frame-work, and rmly secured thereto, is arranged another frame, l,

forming a channel, i, on each side, within which the endless chain orbelt m, which carries the waterbuckets or litters a, travels, and isclearly shown in Fig. 2.

Endless belt m is mounted on two rollers, o o-the one, o, at the top,and the other, o', at the bottom, ofthe frame-work. The shafts of theseQ sans rollers nd their bearings in the frame-Work. p represents thespout that receives the water from the buckets, and may be constructedand applied in the ordinary way of applying spouts to chain-pumps. lThisspout is made to communicate with a pipe, sluice-box, ditch, or otherchannel, for the purpose of conveying the water to the point at which itis to be used-as, for instance, for mining for gold by washing, or forother useful purposes.

To operate the pump through the waterwheel, a driving gear or wheel, a,is keyed fast to the shaft g of the water-wheel. A band,

' lv, from this wheel communicates motion to a pulley, s, on a shaft,s1, which,in turn, carries another driving-wheel, s2, from which anotherband leads around another pulley, t, on a shaft, t1, carrying a drivingwheel, t2, which, in turn, drives another pulley, u, the shaft a ofwhich carries the roller o, which drives the endless belt m andwater-buckets n.

The object of this system of belting and pulleys is to increase thespeed of the belt; otherwise the belt t need only to be passed around apulley on the shaft that carries the roller 0 or 0. Both boats may carryan endlesschain pump, and be driven from'the same shaft, the spouts ofwhich may be made -to communicate with the same delivery-channel, pipe,or ditch; but I prefer to use but asingle one, and that on the boatnearest the shore, balancing its Weight by rocks, dirt, or other means,such as Water in the other boat, so as to keep them on an even keel.

The operation is obvious. The apparatus is anchoredin the stream in anysuitable way?-l as, for instance, in the manner shown in Fig.

v2. Whenit is desiied to put the pump in operation the slide-gate fisraised to allow the water to rush through the channel d, which,

in its passage, turns wheel e, and the latter, through its shaft g,driving-wheel r, and belt t, communicates motion to the endless belt m,through .the system of pulleys before referred to, causing the bucketsin succession to dip into the water in the chamber w, there filled, andafterward elevated and discharged into the trough p, whence it isconducted wherever desired.

By connecting the two boatstogether at the bottom by a,plank bottom, thewater is prevented, When the gate is closed, from surging up beneath thewheel, which, if permitted, would disturb and strain the machinery, and,in fact, keep the machinery constantly if slowly moving. Where, however,the machinery is intended to be kept in constant motion, it may bedispensed with; but I prefer to use it, as it adds much to the strengthand rigidity of the whole apparatus, and gives a steadiness to itsoperation which it might not otherwise have.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

rIhe combination of a pumpand undershot water-wheell with a boat orboats so constructed or arranged in relation to each other as to form aninclosed channel on sides and bottom,

and such channel provided with a verticallymoving gate for regulating orstopping the flow vof the water, in the manner substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as of my own invention I affixmysignature 'in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. DoUeLAss.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. SIMMs, L. B. FENWIGK.

